A fresh scandal has emerged within the presidency following the revelation of a letter addressed to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yemi Cardoso, by Jim Obazee, Chairman of the Special Investigative Committee.
Dated December 22, 2023, the letter outlines a request for over N2 billion for various investigative purposes, including surveillance, vetting, security, monitoring hotels, and acquiring vehicles.
Appointed by Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu in July 2023, Jim Obazee, a former chief executive officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, was tasked with investigating the CBN and related entities.
His appointment came with a mandate to strengthen Government Business Entities (GBEs), block financial leakages, and produce a comprehensive report on public wealth held by corrupt individuals and establishments.
Obazee’s request, outlined in his letter to Cardoso reads in part, “Please refer to our meeting with Mr President (with the Attorney General of the Federation and Honourable Minister of Justice in attendance) on December 20 2023, wherein Mr President directed that I forward my invoice, so far, to you on the ongoing investigation that I am leading.”
Obazee asked for N750,000,000 for “information sourcing, facts finding, synthesis and vetting.”
The Special Investigator asked for N800,000,000 for “surveillance, black sites, private security and prying eyes.”
For “logistics, outstation and team funding,” Obazee demanded N550,000,000.
He also demanded N35,000,000 for “consumables, etc”. The total amount of money requested by the Special Investigator was N2,135,000,000, to be paid into a Premium Trust account number – 0010080287.
Concerned CBN officials shared a copy of the letter with SaharaReporters and questioned the rationale behind the request when the apex bank had already provided for such activities.
“The duplication of efforts raises concerns about potential redundancy and misallocation of resources,” One official stated.
“Moreover, there is uncertainty regarding Jim Obazee’s authority to conduct surveillance and investigations, particularly if he needs the credentials of a spy or professional investigator.
“The lack of clarity on the approval process for these tasks and fund allocation is already causing confusion, raising questions about who authorized these activities and why,” the letter disclosed.
